Offset-web-feed mechanism for printing-presses.



PATENTBD JUNE 25, 1907;'

No. 857.753. l

G. H'. PIERCE.

OFFSET WEB FEED MEGHANISM EOE. PRINTING PEESSES APPLIUATION FILED P2312. 190s.

4 SHEETS--SHBET 1.

f PATENTED JUNE 25,' 19m." E

G. H.'PIERGE. y OFFSET WEB FEED MEGHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION EILED'FEBM, 1906..

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PAENTBD JUNE 2.5, 1907.

G. H. PIERCE. f OFFSET WEB FEEDAMECHANISM ,FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FIIIED 513.12. 1906.-

4 SHEETS-SHEET s.

PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

E. E.- EIEEGE. OEESET WEE vEEED MEGEANISM EOE EEENTENG PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1.2. 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

m im tion,` taken on lin UNITEv STATES arENr @Frien- GEORGE H. PIERCE, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR TO NEW ERA MACHINERY COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION or NEw JERSEY.

OFFSETHWEBUFEDWEC HANISM FOR PRINTING-PRESSES- No. emita.

T al?, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. PIERCE, a4

lcitizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented `new and useful Improvements in Offset-Veb-Feed Mechanism for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved mechanism for automatically feeding, at intervals, an offset web in a printing pressv across the face of the platen or impression plate in said printing press, the obj eet of the invention being to present at intervals a new surface of offset web against which the paper is pressed by the form during the printing operation. 1

This invention. is particularly adapted to be used in printing presses of the type in which a web of paper is fed'interrnittently through the machine and is printed upon at intervals by different forms differ-- ent sets of type and printing in different col# ored inks. i

The inventionl consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the folsection partly in elevation taken on line 3 3.

of Eig. 2 looking ward the left in said figure. Fig. 4 is an enlarg i'section, partly in eleva- L of Eig. 1 looking' to ward the lef l figure. p Fig. 5 is an enlarged detai ,i i ation, partly hi'elaen away, of the pawl and ratchet feed mechanism as viewed in the opposite direction to that in which Fig. 1 is viewed. Fig. 6 is a seotiontalren on line tlmof Fig. 5 looking toward the left in said figure.V Fig. 7 is a set:-`

tion taken on line '7 7 of -Eig. loolring to-4 Fig. 8 is a secward the right in said figure.

tion taken cn line 8-3 of Fig. 4 looking toward theright in said figure and illustrating` in detail the intermittent gears.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings:v

In the drawings, 10 is the frame ofthe ma# 4 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 12,1906. Serial Nol 300,620.

Patented Tune 25, 1907.

chine consisting of two side standards 11, 11 joined together by stay bolts and fastened to,v and supported upon the 'main bed frame 12 of the machine. The platen 13 consists ,of a

4stationary plate rigidly fastened to the bed frame 12. The offset web 14 consists ofva web of paper-which extends across the lower face of the platen 13 and is fastened its op osite ends,l respectively, to a suppiyroll 15 an a receiving roll 16. Said offset web extends from the supply roll (see Fig. 3) downwardly parA tially around atension roll 17, against the periphery of which it is held by'a flat spring ,18, thence acrossk the lower face ofthe platen 13, being guided at the opposite edges o'f'said platen across guide rolls or idlers 19, 19 journaled to rotate freely upon said platen'.

From the platen 13, the web of paper oo nstituting the offset web extends upwardly at an angle and partially around and in contact 'with a feed roll 20, being held rrnly in contact with said feed roll by presser rolls 21.. Said presser rolls are fast tol a shaft 21 journa'led to rotate upon arms 22, 22 `pivoted at 23 the side standards 11, 11. Said rolls =21 are pressed v'downwardly upon the jperiphery of the feed roll bynieans of adjusting screws 24, 24 having screw-threadedv engagement with ears 25, 25 formed upon the side standards 11, 11.- The odset web passes from between thel feedv roll 20:-and presser rolls 21 to the receiving roll 16.` and the end of said offset web is fastened to said receiving roll.

The main driving shaft 26 vof my improved web feeding mechanism is rotated by a sprocket chain 27 and sprocket gear 28 fast 'sai'd shaft 26, the chain 27 being driven sprocket gear fast to a rotary shaft upon the vmain frame lof the machine (not shown the drawings.) v vSaidrnain driving shaft 25 has another sprocket gear 29 fast thereto by africtional clamp 30 Fig. 3 and connected-by a sprocket chain 31 to a sprocketl gearv 32 fast to a shaft 33 journaled to rotate in bearings provided in the frame and having fast to its right hand end (Eig. 3) a bevel gearv 34 whichrneshes into another bevel gear 35 fastto a shaft 36 to which the receiving roll 16 with* its flanges 16 is fastened.

It `will 'be seen that the rotation of the receiving roll 16 causes the odset web to be wound upon the central drum of said roll as feed the offset web intermittently across the face of the platen at the end of a certain number of rotations of the. main shaft, sayive in number', so that a new surface of the offset web extends entirely across the under vface of the platen and is presented to the face of the paper to b e printed beneath the platen 13. The oifset web then remains stationary for four rotations of the main shaft 26 and is then fed during the next rotation of vs shaft as hereinbefore described .To obtain this intermittent motion of the offset web a pawl and ratchet mechanism is used in which a ratchet 38 is fastened to the shaft 37 and a pawl carrier 39 is journaled to rock freely upon said shaft 37. A pawl 40 is pivoted to the pawl carrier 39 and engages the teeth. of the ratchet 38, when the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 5. Said pawl is pivoted to said pawl carrier at 41 and is connected by a pin 42 to a lever 43 which, in turn, is pivotedat 44, to the pawl carrier 39. It Will be noted that the lever 43 and the pawl`40 lie side by side upon the rear face of the pawl carrier 39. immediately above the pawl 40 and the lever 43 is located one end of a rock shaft 45 provided with a finger 46 fast thereto and adapted, by the rocking of the shaft 45 and mechanism hereinafter de scribed, to b e moved alternately into alinement with the vpawl 40 and with the lever Assuming the parts to be in the position illustrated in Figs. 5- and 6, it will be seen that the finger 46 is in alinement with the pawl 40, and when in this position said pawl is brought into contact with the teeth of the ratchet 38. When said rock-shaft 45 and finger 46' are moved, however, to the position shown in dotted lines (Fig. 6) it will be seen that the nger 46 is in alinement with the lever 43, and in this position, when the lever 43 is rocked by the pawl carrier 39 until said lever comes in contact with the finger 46, 'said lever Will be pushed downwardly by the nger 46 and through the pin 42 the pawl 40 Will'be lifted out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet 38 until the spring pin 47, carried by the pawl carrier 39is forced into the recess 48 formed inthe pawl 4() (Fig. 7), said spring pin thus constituting a catch and holding said pawl out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet until the rock-shaft' 45 is actuated to rock the iinger 46 into alinement with the pawl 40, when said pawl will be moved downwardly into contact with the teeth. of the ratchet 38, said spring pin 47 being forced out of the recess 48 to allow of such movement.

The rock-shaft 45 is journaled to roch in bearings formed in brackets 49 fast to the side standard 1l and is rocked by an arm 50 fast thereto and moved upwardly by a spring 5i., one end of which .is fast to said arm the other to said standard il, while a downward motion imparted 'to said arm by a. link 52 connecting said arm to a lever 53 pivoted at 54 to the side standard l] and provided at its right hand end (Fig. l) with a-friction roll 55 which rides upon the periphery of a cam 56, fast to an intermittent gear 57 (Figs. l and 4). Said cam 56 has two raised portions 56 thereon arranged diametrically opposite each other, and in the position illustrated in Fig. one of said raised portions 56 in contact with the roll 55, so that Athe lever is tipped upwardly at the right hand end tl'zoreof, the ,link 52 is pulled downwardly, the rockshaft 45 rocked to bring the g 46 into alinement with the paivl 40, as yrated in Fig. 6. The interniittr-mt gear 7 and cani 56 rotate'as one piece upon a stud 58 fast the standard li and are rotated by an intermittent gear 59, said intermittent gear 57 having V ten spaces 57 formed in its periphery' and the intermittent gear 59 having one tooth 59; thereon, said intermittent gear 59 fast to a shaft 60 journaled tl otate in bearings formed in the sides of the `hed Aframe l2.

The shaft 60 has the tension roll i7 fast thereto and is rotated by a bevel gear 61 which meshes into a bevel gear 62 fast to the shaft 26. [t rocking motion is imparted to the disk-shaped pawl carrier 3Q by gear 63 which is fast to the pawl carrier 39 rocks as one piece therewith and meshes into a rack 64 constructed to slide in a bracket 65 jour* naled te rock loosely upon the shaft 37 and held against longitudinal movement upon said shaft by a collar 66 on one side thereof and by the gear 63 upon the opposite side thereof. The rack 64 is pivotally connected to a wrist pin 67 formed upon asliding nut 63 having screw-threaded engagement with an adjusting screw 69 and constructed to be moved in ways 70 by said screw longitudinally of a crank-arm 71 formed upon the outer end of the shaft 6() (Figs. l. and 4).

The paper 7 2, upon which the printing is to be done, passes between a form 7 3 containing the type and the platen 13. rThe form 7 3 is fast to a form carrier -7 4 pivoted at 75 to the bed plate of the machine, a rocking motion being imparted to said form carrier 74 by a link 76 connected to suitable mechanism to impart vertical reciprocatory motion thereto. The paper 72 isliable,in certain classes of printing presses, to have freshly printed matter upon the upper as well as upon the tower face thereof, and to prevent said freshlyprinted matter upon the upper face of said paper from being smutched as it is fed against the offset web in the operation of the machine reciprocatory guides 77, 77 and 73, 73 are provided, which, at the proper time in the operation of the machine, are respectively raised and lowered until the paper 7 2 is sams brought into and out of contact with the lower face ofthe laten 13.

v The guide 77, (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) consists' of `two blocks 79,' 79 located upon opposite sides, respectively, of the sheet of paper 72 and joined together by rods and 8l. One of said rods 80 (Fig. 4) is provided with right and left screwthreads which have screwthreaded engagement --with the blocks 79, so that by rotating said rods 80 the blocks 79 are brought toward or away from each ot'her according to the direction in which the rod 80 is'A rotated, thus regulating the` guide blocks to the width of the paper which is to be fed therebetween through the grooves 82 provided said blocks beneath the rods 80 and 81. The opposite ends of the rod 80 are connected by spiral springs 83 tol pins 84 fast to brackets 85 upon the bed frame 12, said sprin s tending to hold the rods 80 and guide bloc s 79 upwardly and thus to assist in holding-the web 72 against the under face of the platen 13; Said guide blocks and rods are forced downwardly for the purpose of removing said4 pa er from the'under face of said platen by sh' es 86constructed to move vertically m ways formed in the bracketsl 85,-and each provided lat its uppercnd with a friction roll 87 arranged to bear against the periphery of cams 88 fast to the shaft 60.

' The guide7-8 is -similar in its constructionand' in its operation tothe guide. 7,7 and consists of two guide `blocks 89, 89 connected together by a"rod 90, said rod and uide blocks being moved-upwardly by spira springs 91 land downwardly by slides 92-provided with friction rolls 93 which bear against the periphery of cams 94 fast to a shaft 95 journaled to rotate in the opposite sidesof the bed frame 12. The shaft 95 is rotated by a bevel gear 96 fast thereto and meshing into another bevel gear 97 fast to thee-shaft 26.

The receiving roll 16 and supply roll 15 are made interchangeable so that when the supply roll 15 becomes empty and the offset web becpmes wound upon the receiving roll 16, said receivingl roll may be removed from l the side standards and placed in the position previously occupied by the-supplyroll, the supply roll being placed in the position upon sal standards .previously4 occupied by the receiving roll, andthus the paper forming the offset web may be wound from oneof said rolls tothe other several times until .-it beiss comes unit'fo'r use.

It will be seen andunderstood that/by the yarrangement of the supply rolland receiving roll, and the manner in which the pa er isdirected from one to the other, that t e outer face-.of the paper is alternately changed by the changing of the receiving roll to the position of thesupply roll, that is, the vouter face, against which'the impression takes place, ofv the odset .web, as illustrated in 3,*be-v comes the inner are interchanged.

The flan les 16 are made detachable from the center rum 16, so that when the roll 15 is substituted forV the roll 16, asia receiving roil,.as hereinbefore described, said flanges are removed from the drum 16 and fastened to thedrum of the roll 15.

The general operation ofmy improved ofi'- set web feed mechanism is as follows: Assuming the different arts of the mechanism. to be in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the paper 72 is carried up- 'wardly until'itcontact's with the offset web 14 by the springs 83 and 91, which operate, vas hereinbefore described, 'to raise the guide face when the rolls 15 and 16 65 blocks 79 -and 89 until the paper 72 contacts type contacts with the under face of the paper 72. Said form is thenlowered and the we of paper 72 is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, and said web of paper is' then fed forward by appropriatemechanism (not shown vin the drawings). After five impressions have been made upon the paper 72, the offset-web is fed'forward in the direction of the arrow a (Fig. 3') .andl

across the under face' of the platen 13 until anew Section of said offset web extends en- .tirely across the face of said platen. This feed takes place during every iifth rotation of the shaft 26 and said oset web is fed by the pawl and ratchet mechanism herein'before described. At every fifth rotation of the shaft 26 one of the, raised portionsl 56 upon the cam 56 comes in contact with the roll 55 IOO upon the lever 53 and tips said'lem pivot, .thus rocking the rock-shaft 745 and moving the finger 46 from the position shown in full lines (Fig. 6) to that shown 1n dotted lines therein, thus bringing the finger 46 into alinement with thelever 43, and as the pawl carrier 39 is carried forward in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, said finger contacts wlth the lever 43 and pushes the same down- N lwardly, rocking the pawl 4() uponits pivot 41 by means of the pin 42 connecting said lever 43 and pawl 40 and lifting the pawl out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet 38 until the spring pin 47 drops into the recess 48 and holds said awl out lof contact with the teeth of the ratcliet during the next four lrotations of the shaft 26 -and during said f our rotations vthe ratchet 38 as well as the feed roll37 remains stationary, and also the offset web 14, it being understood that by the pawl and ratchet 1 mechanism hereinbefore described athe oset web is fed at the end of every five rotations of the shaft 26 across .the under face of the platen to present a new surface of offset web to the platen or paper 7 2.A

It will be understood that a continual pull IlO roll and theifeed roll 20, the slipping of said frictional clamp hub upon the shaft 2G allo Ws the receiving roll i6 to remain stationary, except at such times as the offset web is being fed by the feed roll 20, as hereinbefore described.

It Willbe understood that after each im pression of the type upon the paper 72 has taken place, said paper is carried away fromv the lower face oflthe platen 13 by the guide blocks 79` and 89, actuated by the mechanism hereinbefore described, and is then oarried forward in the direction of the arrow l) (Fig. 3), and just-previous to said impression taking place the paper is carried upwardly into contact With said platen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is: A

l. ln a printing press, a stationary platen, a web of paper constituting an odset web ei;- tending across the face of said platen rolls to which the opposite ends, respec iy, of said offset web are fastened, a main dri ing shaft, mechanism driven by said shaft to intermittently feed said offset Web from one of said rolls to the, other across the face of said platen, and mechanism operated by said main shaft adapted to disconnect and connect said last named mechanism from, and to, respectively, said main shaft.

ln a printingl press, a stationary platen, a web of paper constitntingl an offset'iveb e3;- tendine" across tl face of said platen, tivo rolls to which the opposite ends resoectiveiy of said offset web are fastened, a feed roll contacting' with said o web betveefn one of said rolls l platen, a main driving shaft, mechani n by said she-ft to im part a rot; d feed mechanism ad A neet neet said last n to, res iectivelw 3. In a printingl p a web of paper com a stationary/*p24 n, tine an. oifsc" web eittendingr across tn i ce or' said pla rolls to which the opposite ends, respectivelfv of said. offset viveb are fastened, a feed rolf contacting with said offset Web bett/ecn one of said rolls and said platen,l a ina-in driving shaft, mechanism driven by said shaft to inipart a rotary motion to said feed lroll, and mechanism adapted to disconnect said last named mechanism from said main shaft and esmas tion to said feed roll,m'cchanism adapted to disconnect and connect said last named mechanism from and to, respectively, said main shaft, and mechanism to impart rotary motion to said receiving roll.

5. in a printing,r press, a stationary platen,

a web of paper constituting an offset web extending across the face of said platen, a supply roll and a receiving' roll, to Which rolls the opposite ends, respectively, of said offset web are fastened, a feed roll contacting with said offset web between one of said rolls and said platen, a main driving shaft, mechanism driven by said shaft to impart a rotary motion to said feed roll, mechanism adapted to disconnect and connect said last named mechanism from and to, respectively, said main shaft, and frictionally driven mechanism adapted to impart an intermittent rotary motion to said receiving roll.

6. in a printing press, a stationary platen, eb of paper constituting an offset web ex ng across the face of said platen, two to Which the opposite ends, respectively, offset Web are fastened, a feed roll contacting with said offset web between one of said rolls and said platen,.a pawl, a ratchet fast to said feed roll,mechanism adapted to impart a rocking motion to said pawl and through said pawl to impart an intermittent rotary motion to said ratchet and feed roll, and mechanism to move said porvi nt of tion with. said ratchet during the en en ent of said rocking movement.

i'. in a printing press, a station ."y platen, web of paper constituting an offset web eX- ;'Pg across the facn4 of-s id Tklaten, two ,.ctiveiy,

llcozri one of a ratchet to said parvl and art an intermitten' .ary motion to said ratchet and feed roll, a

roch-shaft, a 'projetl ion upon said rock-shaft, and mechanism to ich said shaft and bring i ijection alt rnately into and out of connection Vlwith said parvl, whereby said pavvl `is alternately moved into and ont of engagement with said ratchet.

In a printing,l press, a stationary platen, a web of paper constituting an offset web eX- IOO tending across the face of said platen, two rolls to which the opposite ends, respectively, of said offset web are fastened, a feed roll contacting with said offset web between one of 5 said. rolls and said platen, a rotary shaft, a

,ratchet fast to said rotary shaft, a pawl carrier journaledto rock upon said shalt, a pawl pivoted to said carrier and adapted to engage said ratchet, a rock-shaft, a projection upon saidrock-shaft, `and mechanism to rock said shaft and bring said projection alternately into and out of connection with said pawl, whereby said pawl is alternately moved into and out of engagement with said ratchet.l

9. In a printing press, astationary platen, a web of paper constituting an offset web eX- tending across the face of said platen, two rolls to which the opposite ends, respectively, of said ofl'set web are fastened, a feed roll con tacting with said oHset web between one of said rolls and said platen, a ratchet, a pawl carrier, a pawl pivoted to said carrier and adapted to engage said ratchet, mechanism to move said pawl out of engagement with 5 said ratchet, and a catch supported upon said carrier adapted to engage said pawl and hold the same out of engagement with said ratchet.

10. In a printing press, a stationary platen, a web of paper constitutiner an odset web eX- tending across the face of? said platen, two rolls to which the opposite ends, respectively,

of said offset web are fastened,'a feed roll contacting with said oset web between one of said rolls and said platen, a ratchet, a pawl carrier, a pawl pivoted to said carrier, a lever pivoted to said carrier and connected to said pawl, and a rocking finger adapted to alternately engage said pawl and lever and throw said -pawl into and out of engagement, respectively, with said ratchet.

11. In a printing press, a platen, a web of paper constituting an offset web extending across the face of said platen, a feed roll for said offset web, a ratchet fast to said feed roll, a pawl carrier, a pawl pivoted to said carrier, a lever pivoted to said carrier and connected to said awl, a rocking finger adapted to alternate y engage said pawl and 5o lever and throw said pawl into and out of en y gagement, respectively, with said ratchet,

and means to lock said pawl cut of engagement withsaid pawl carrier.

12. In a printing' press, a platen, a web of paper extending across the face of said platen, guide blocks located upon opposite sides, respectively, of said platen provided with grooves adapted to engage the opposite edges, respectively, of said web of paper, rods eX- vtending transversely across said web of paper to which said guide blocks are fastened, and mechanism to move said rods transversely thereof, whereby said web of paper is movedlaterally thereof toward and away from said l platen.

i .1.3. In a printing press, a platen, a web of paper extending across the face of said platen,

guide blocks located upon opposite sides, 'respectively, of said platen, provided with grooves adapted to engage the opposite edges,

respectively, of said webv of paper, rods-ex-l paper extending across the face of said platen,

guide blocks located' upon opposite sides, re-

spectively, of said platen, provided with grooves adapted to engage the opposite edges, respectively, of said web ofpaper, rods eX- tending transversely across said web of pa per, to whichsaid guide blocks are fastened, slides to which said rods are fastened at opposite ends thereof, respectively, cams adapted to move said .slides in one direction,and

springs to move said slides in the opposite.t

direction to that in which theyare moved by said cams, whereby said web of paper is moved laterally positively away from said platen and toward said platen with a yielding pressure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

: GEORGE H. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. GooDrNG, A NNIE J. BAILEY. 

